Extraordinary in the ordinary.

Truly imaginative ad work calls for more than a marketable idea and colorful creative, it is the ability to see a new opportunity in familiar settings. Those that truly stand out are the ones who use inventive ideas for old places. Below are a few I’m most fond of, and in case you were curious, they’re shown in order of my favorites.

Clever and original. This is for a refrigeration tool that helps smells in the fridge not mix. Thanks DDB Paris.

Creativity

Absolutely love these...

Some sports marketing

With Fifa in full swing, I thought it only appropriate to dedicate a post to the commercial spots during games. These are both parts of series. I happen to think that each has one that is significantly better than its counterpart. Check them out and let me know what you think.

The deed.

I enjoy that one. And while we're on the topic, here's a "playful" print ad Ogilvy put together for Viagra that I just love.

Big Red

First of all, no, I did not intentionally put this up after the green post.

I was watching the Colbert Report tonight again saw what I think is one of the most uncreative, awful additions to bought space on television. Why, Verizon, would you use a bubble gum theme song from the 80's to communicate up-to-date universal service coverage? What exactly is the logic? I can say this much, the original song was great because all this Verizon commercial made me want to buy was a pack of gum.

The worst part possibly being that the original, yes I'm talking about something created in the 80's, is actually a significantly better sell. And when you look at the two back to back you see how they stole the entire concept of the commercial, not even just the song. Really Verizon??

Let's go green

Big hats off to Denver, Colorado for some creative green thinking!! I LOVE these and have found them on various different blogs so I'm not the only one talking about them. I prefer the bench one, but can't help but wonder how much it costs to cut off parts of their benches and put them back together later. Less impressed with the billboard but still points for using more than the billboard space.

Different company, but far better use of a billboard to make the point:

A complete motive switch, but check out how KitKat used a bench in the same sort of way. Very creative, looks like an older wrapper though rather that the current one--anyone know why?

Graphic designers' creativity

So I was just on this design blog: (http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/latest-creative-print-ads) looking at ads they found interesting. Mostly I found them disturbing, and too human body part based, what do you think? Check out their link for all of them or look at this collection I thought were commentary worthy.

Love the BBC World "both sides of the story" poster and the life's too short for the wrong job one... clearly I'm a sucker for out-of-the-box advertising. It can be truly ingenious.

What do you think?? Is the Ramadan burger offensive? Is the hand holding or ears for eyes too creepy or does it get the point across? How about those elephants?

VW on the road

I was driving on the interstate the other day and saw this treasure. Sorry the quality is so awful, I had to quickly snap a shot with my non-smart phone.

Notice on the back the little knob that wind-up toys have? I thought it was absolutely charming, and an interesting addition given VW's current campaign to showcase VW as more than just its classic model. I was impressed with the following commercial series where VW has used their significance in American culture and turned it back in to their advertising. Nice example of the communication going both ways, too bad it only took them, what? 30 years to think to use VW punches? Regardless, a smart move and a great way to showcase that they are more than the little bug seen above.

"Now that was a bachelor party"

In the same vein as beer and boys is football season and super bowl ads. I was pretty disappointed this year and generally tried to appreciate that these ads aren't targeted towards me, but this one that Bridgestone tires pulled together I found absolutely great. Added bonus that it makes viewers think of the (at this time) recently successful movie, The Hangover. Well played, Bridgestone, well played.

Alcohol

I'm not usually much of one for alcohol ads, maybe it's the all-but-subtle attempt to sell sexual promise in a cup, but Captain Morgan has been doing some dynamite commercials that differentiate them from the crowd.

In related news, does Mike's hard lemonade think that after years of being the drink of choice for young girls who can't stomach adult-alcohol that this following series is going to get them in the prime drinking market of 20-30 year old men? If you find these affective, please do tell me why.

Greats ads make me smile

An advertising junkie at heart, I figured this would be a fun place to play with new ads and show off some favorites. I'd love any responses or additions you all have.

Here's one to start us off...

As I went to pick up my luggage from an airport in Venice last year I found this gem of a promotion for the local casino.

My favorite aspect about ads created in foreign countries for the American audience?: the english that sounds cool but doesn't quite make sense, ie: "An Infinite Emotion", seen here. I worked for a branding company in France and the "english" slogans that would come across my desk were truly... inventive. Note: when you're selling in a foreign market, make sure someone on your team has a native hold on the language, not "advanced proficiency", not "they speak better than anyone else in the office". If someone on your team wasn't born and raised in the country, you're headin' towards a problem.

Otherwise, I think the concept is just brilliant and great placement within the airport.